


The Architecture of a Snowman

by HolmesianDeduction



Series: 25 Days of Holiday Fic 2k12 [19]
Category: Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (2011), Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy - All Media Types, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy - John Le Carré
Genre: 25 Days of Fic, Domestic, M/M, Pre-Canon, Snow, Snowman, well sort of
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-12-22
Updated: 2012-12-22
Packaged: 2017-11-22 01:47:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 336
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/604477
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HolmesianDeduction/pseuds/HolmesianDeduction
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>[25 Days of Holiday Fic: Day 21 - Snowman]</p><p>While running an operation in Germany, Jim takes a small break.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Architecture of a Snowman

             It was a late afternoon after a long night-drop operation when Jim Prideaux was awakened by the sound of voices beneath his window.  Sitting up in bed, he squinted in the sunlight, and looking out, saw a small group of children struggling to build a snowman.  A small smile twitching the corner of his mouth, he swung his legs over the side of the bed and leaned his arms on the window sill to watch.  He glanced backwards at the still-sleeping body on the bed behind him, half-covered by the battered comforter, face buried in the pillow as a ward against the light.

             They had gotten in from the drop in the early hours of the morning - Bill had arrived first, and his shadow had slipped in half an hour later, having cleared them of any pavement artists - and had almost immediately shed their clothing and fallen into bed, exhausted and running on a minimal amount of sleep.  Their rooms were drafty at best, and in the chill of the German winter, even Bill was content to burrow under the blankets and hold still, his face pressed between Jim’s shoulder blades for most of the night.

             Finally, he could take it no longer, and standing up, he opened the window, drawing a drowsy, muffled curse from Bill.  Ignoring Bill’s protests, he leaned out the window and whistled, calling out at the last moment before the children scattered, his lightly accented German drawing them back.

             “Is that _really_ necessary?”  Bill’s voice vibrated against his spine, his voice tinged only with feigned annoyance.

             “You _could_ go back to sleep.”

            “Not now, with you shouting instructions for building snowmen and letting all the bloody cold in.”  He felt Bill’s lips twitch into a wry smile.  “Now I’ll never get back to sleep.”

             Turning away from the window for a moment, Jim arched an eyebrow over his shoulder.  “Do you expect me to apologise?”

             A muffled laugh.  “Not really, no.”

             “Good.”  Jim smiled crookedly, then leaned out the window again.


End file.
